The Downside of 7-Up Orthodontic Referrals

The Downside of 7-Up Orthodontic Referrals

Have you ever wondered about whether you should take on 7-up orthodontics referral cases? Often, it can seem a little difficult to know whether 7-up orthodontic cases will be appropriate for your practice. However, our experts are on hand to help you learn more, and today, we’re looking at whether you should take on 7-up orthodontics referrals.

What are 7-Up Orthodontics Referral Cases?

7-up orthodontics cases are generally those referrals for children aged 7 and over. It’s often common practice for general dentists and the like to use a 7-up policy for orthodontics referrals. However, it’s not always straightforward to take on 7-up cases. 

When Ortho Starts with Another Provider for Young Patients

With 7-up cases, it’s important to consider that the patient will be seven years old when ortho starts with the other orthodontist or dentist. However, by the time that all of the paperwork has been completed, ortho may not start with you until the child has gotten to eight or nine years old, potentially. Unfortunately, depending on the problem being faced, this could be too late to be just starting treatment. After all, by the age of six, 60% of a patient’s facial growth has already finished, meaning that you’ll have a much harder time tackling certain cases. This can leave you in a difficult orthodontics position where you are only able to prevent an issue from getting worse (as opposed to actively fixing it).

Some important considerations to keep in mind are that, as a child grows up, their skeletal age will also increase (and, notably, there’s nothing to prevent even an eight year old of having a skeletal age far older than their chronological age). This can further limit the amount of change you can achieve. Additionally, it’s also worth noting that children often get busier as they get older, making it harder for them to come in for appointments.